This invention relates to devices for enabling a player to practice striking a ball. Specifically, it relates to an improved device for positioning a ball, particularly a tennis ball, in a position desired by the player and for automatically delivering succeeding balls to the same position after each ball is struck by the player.
An important objective of the present invention is to provide a device which may be used by tennis players for practicing the various strokes of the game, i.e., backhand, forehand and serve, by striking a stationary ball. This form of practice is beneficial not only for beginners who are learning to connect the racket with the ball but also for experienced players at various levels who wish to improve their judgment of proper body placement relative to the ball.
A number of mechanical devices have been used or proposed for enabling players of moving ball games, of which baseball and tennis are examples, to attain skill in hitting the ball. And such apparatus, as a rule, are truly useful only when the player can practice hitting a succession of balls repeatedly at close intervals. Machines which have been developed for projecting the ball toward the player at various angles and velocities accomplish this function, but they are, of course, expensive and also require the player to move to and connect with a ball which is traveling toward, and possibly to the "inside" or "outside" of the player's stroke, as well. The invention is not concerned with this type of device. Rather, as noted above, the primary object and advantage of the invention is to deliver balls in succession as the player is ready for them at a preselected position where the ball may be struck and projected toward a desired target.
Several mechanical contrivances have been suggested for accomplishing this object. They are, however, far from satisfactory. One of these holds a ball rigidly at the end of a collapsible, vertical stand. When the ball (which is permanently affixed to the stand) is struck by the player, the stand collapses or pivots forwardly and then automatically returns to its upright position for striking again. While apparatus of this type gives the player a target to strike at, he is given little opportunity to judge the correctness of his stroke and aim because the ball cannot be projected. So far as we are aware, there are no satisfactory devices previous to the invention which accomplish the function of holding the ball stationary in a position where it can be struck and projected by the player to the point of aim.
Batting practice devices of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,955,823 and 2,955,824 represent another approach. These devices, however, not only cannot be used for tennis stroking practice but are also disadvantageous in that they require the player to make special motions unrelated to the desired exercise in order to release each ball as it is needed. In other words, release of the ball to the practice position is not automatic; moreover, it is possible to accidentally release more than one ball. Devices of this type cannot be used for tennis practice because the ball is delivered down a wire formation which interferes with the stroke of the tennis racket at and "through" the tennis ball.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a device that is useful, particularly in the game of tennis, squash and the like, for practicing hitting the ball wherein the ball may be driven by the racket to the point of aim.
A further object of the invention is to provide a ball striking practice device in which the balls are delivered one by one automatically as each ball is hit.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a ball striking practice device which may be adjusted to various positions and which may be used for practicing all of the basic racket strokes, while permitting the racket to swing through the point of impact with the ball and allowing the ball to be projected.